The Darkest Sunrise
by LucyInTheSkyWithStories
Summary: As the Pact Fleet set off for the jungle, the Pale Reaver expected to fight for victory, perhaps even survival. She did not expect to fight for her mind or for the trust of the Pact.


.

Eyes Like a Sunrise, Voice Like a Jagged Knife

* * *

The Pale Reaver stood atop a cliff overlooking Camp Resolve, her teal eyes scanning the vast desert, a harsh and beautiful landscape that the elements had painstakingly carved into mesas, arches, and canyons over millennia. It had been there before any living being had graced the face of Tyria, and it would be there long after.

The desert had an eternity to accomplish its goals, but The Pact had no such luxury.

The young sylvari was restless, she had been in the desert for too long. The heat was devoid of moisture, making her feel dehydrated no matter how much water she drank. The heat itself was uncomfortable though bearable, but the near-constant buzzing she had been hearing in her head for the past few days was fraying her nerves.

She pulled back her hood and fixed her eyes on the airships above her. Dozens of wood, metal, and glass behemoths resembling winged insects that seemed too big to ever lift off the ground, let alone take flight. Yet there they were, hovering above the camp. Waiting.

Her gaze moved from the ship to the sun emerging on the horizon.

She squinted and watched as everything the light touched turned to gold. She shaded her eyes with her hand and surveyed the area. No sign of the Commander.

She had overheard Pact Marshal Trahearne say that he would give the Commander until sunrise, then the fleet would make for the jungle with or without her. What business could the Commander have that was more important than going after Mordremoth? At this point, did the Pact truly need her? Marshal Trahearne was leading the Pact, and there were more than enough commanding officers in each of the orders. They should have left days ago, the camp had already been attacked once, a second attack was imminent.

She tugged on the thick, leather sling across her chest. It was a habit to make sure her rifle was secure on her back.

She moved to the edge of the cliff and watched the camp looking for anything out of place, perhaps a rogue vine or a Mordrem wolf sneaking behind a tent. But there was nothing different about the bustle, the tents, or the giant metal eyesore in the middle of the camp.

Her hand automatically reached for her rifle when she heard someone gasp, but she quickly relaxed when she saw a female sylvari wearing blue silk robes making the difficult climb.

She slowly shook her head in disapproval._ Who wears silk to a place like this?_

"Would you give me a hand?" The woman's tone was hopeful as she tentatively reached a hand toward the Pale Reaver.

With a quiet sigh, she bent down and grasped the hand, pulling her up.

Golden eyes smiled at her as the sylvari stepped onto the cliff. "Thank you." She looked toward the horizon and sighed. "Oh no, I've missed it."

"Missed what?"

"The sunrise. Getting up here was much more difficult than I thought."

"It's a near-vertical climb."

The stranger laughed lightly. "I suppose. Was it difficult for you?"

"No."

The stranger scanned the horizon again before turning to her. "I'm Keera."

She watched Keera for a moment. "Ariadne."

"What a pretty name."

Ariadne shifted her shoulder blades and sighed softly. She had never seen the point in complimenting someone about something they had no control over. But there was something genuine about the way Keera was looking at her, there was sincerity in her smile, and she felt compelled to respond.

"...Thank you."

"You must be a Pale Reaver."

"I am."

"It was the rifle that gave it away, in case you're wondering, and the leather coat. I'm with the Priory."

Ariadne nodded. "You should start climbing back down, we're bound to depart at any moment."

"I know, I just…" She sighed. "All the noise down there has my head buzzing, I was trying to get away for a moment." Keera looked toward the horizon again. "It's a pity I missed it, I do love the sunrise." She walked to the edge then looked down, her eyebrows contracting slightly. "You wouldn't be opposed to helping me down, would you? It didn't look quite so...vertical from below."

Not wanting a fellow sylvari's broken neck on her conscience, Ariadne nodded. "I'll go first."

She looked up as she began her descent and, from that angle, noticed the way the morning light illuminated Keera's beautiful skin.

_Like a blue morning glory._

She felt the heat rush to her face as if Keera had heard her thoughts. She immediately cleared her head and focused on the task. The climb down seemed interminable as she helped her find hand and footholds until they reached the bottom.

Barely a moment after her feet touched the ground, the horn blared; the Pact Fleet was ready to depart. She breathed a sigh of relief. Not even bothering to look at Keera, Ariadne moved swiftly toward the camp and quickly gathered her pack and bedroll before joining her unit.

The entire camp worked like a well-oiled machine, and everyone had been ready to depart in a moment's notice. Before long, Ariadne had boarded the Lethal Vantage, and the Pact Fleet began to cut its way through the sky toward Maguuma.

She closed her eyes and tugged on the leather sling over her chest. She breathed in the desert air, glad to be leaving it behind. She could almost feel the humidity of the jungle, could almost feel her dry skin reviving. In her mind's eye, she saw the deep, green foliage, she imagined the sounds of tropical birds. If she had to fight anywhere, she would always choose the jungle.

Making her way through the ship, she nodded in acknowledgment when she saw fellow Pale Reavers, but avoided speaking or making eye contact with anyone else. All she wanted was to find a quiet place. A nice, little spot close to the railing caught her attention. She could nestle herself between the wooden crates and sleep or at least rest her eyes before they arrived.

"Hello." She turned slowly to see Keera standing before her. "I hope I'm not interrupting...again. But you left so abruptly I wasn't able to thank you for helping me climb down. I'm sure I'd still be up there if it weren't for you."

"I…" Ariadne sighed, small talk had never been her strong suit. "I'm sure you would have done just fine on your own."

Keera smiled. "One can hope."

Ariadne set her pack on one of the creates then held on to the railing as she watched Camp Resolve disappear in the distance.

Keera stood next to her and mimicked Ariadne's pose. "Good riddance. I was tired of the charr and asura joking about sylvari wilting in the desert. Were you?"

"No."

"It doesn't' bother you?"

"The heat, yes, the jokes, no."

Keera laughed. It sounded like a babbling stream, like home. "Perhaps I'm too sensitive then." She set her own pack on a crate. "Is it your Wyld Hunt that drives you toward the jungle?"

"I don't have a Wyld Hunt."

Keera gasped and clasped her hands. "Really? Neither do I." She leaned back against the railing. "I've always been envious of those who do, I feel a bit aimless sometimes. Don't you?"

Ariadne pulled back her hood and looked at her. Why was she talking to her, being so friendly? In all honesty, she just wanted some rest, she hadn't slept much the night before. But there was something about Keera's sunrise eyes that compelled her to talk instead of turning her back and walking away.

"I don't feel aimless." She ran her fingers over her rifle's sling. "I fight for the Pale Tree, for the Vigil, for the Pact. I do not need a Wyld Hunt to give me purpose."

Keera smiled. "Well, now I envy _you_ as well." Her smile disappeared, and her brow furrowed. "How are things at the Grove, after the attack?"

"Somewhat better. Everyone is trying to recover."

"Were you there?"

"I was."

"Did you fight?"

"I fought beside the Grand Warmaster Laranthir of the Wild."

"Do you think the Mordrem are as dangerous as they say?"

"I watched brothers and sisters from the Vigil fall to the Mordrem, they are _more _dangerous than anyone says."

Keera nodded slowly and was quiet for a moment. "How _is_ The Pale Tree?"

"Not well. She seems to drift in and out of consciousness. She's weak. The menders are doing their best to help her but-" She turned to Keera. "Have you not been to see her?"

Keera looked toward the horizon and exhaled slowly. "I've not been to the Grove in quite some time."

"How long?"

"Two years."

"Two years?" Ariadne raised an eyebrow in quiet disapproval before she could stop herself.

Keera cast down her eyes. "You think it's too long?"

She felt a pang of guilt, it was not her intention to shame her, certainly not to judge her. "It's too long for me, I'm certain it's different for each individual."

"I've been meaning to go, but there's so much to experience outside of the Grove, so much to explore."

"But home is home."

Keera gazed at the interminable desert ahead. "I would hate to disturb Mother if she isn't well."

"It doesn't disturb her, she likes to see us there."

"If you're trying to make me feel guilty, you've succeeded."

"Oh." Ariadne looked down at her boots. "It wasn't my intention."

Keera laughed lightly. "You're not the joking type, are you?"

"No."

"Maybe after this mission is over, we could go see her...together; it might be easier for me that way."

Ariadne turned to her, and when she looked into her eyes, her heart began hammering in her chest. "...Um...I..."

Keera chuckled then covered her face with her hands. "Was that too soon? I'm sorry I've been told I'm too presumptuous sometimes."

"No, I'd like that."

"Good." Keera nodded and smiled.

"Keera?" A human woman dressed in pale silk walked toward them.

"I thought you were assigned to Mellaggan's Valor."

Keera shifted her weight from one foot to the other and cleared her throat. "I was...But who keeps track of those things anyway?"

The human looked from Keera to Ariadne and smiled. "Hello, I'm Leila," she held out her hand in greeting.

"Ariadne." She took the woman's hand.

"What a pretty name." Leila turned to Keera. "I'm so excited, what do you think we'll find in Maguuma?"

"This is not an excursion," Ariadne spoke more harshly than she had intended. "There will be _real_ danger, creatures trying to kill us."

Leila sighed. "We're explorers, we know danger."

It wasn't that Ariadne didn't believe the Priory to have capable fighters, but as she saw it, to them, it was a secondary skill. Not to the Vigil, they were always at the front line, fighters through and through. One mission out in the field, and they learned to respect danger; they learned to never underestimate any enemy.

Ariadne turned her back on Leila and set her eyes on the horizon. _When are we going to get out of this damned desert?_

"I was looking for a quiet place to write." Ariadne heard Leila's voice behind her.

Keera gave a short laugh. "The journaling never ends."

"I'll look for you before we land," Leila said.

Keera nodded. "Of course, we'll need to compare notes."

When Ariadne heard Leila's footsteps fade away, she turned to Keera. "I didn't mean to be harsh, but the Mordrem are not to be taken lightly."

Keera nodded. "I understand. But we don't take it lightly, we're just excited. I can't sleep because I keep wondering what we'll discover. Sometimes I lay awake thinking about our people, wondering how we'll shape the world. Sylvari are so new to Tyria and we're already making our mark. Caithe in Destiny's Edge, Trahearne cleansing Orr and leading the Pact-"

"Scarlet."

"That's _one_ bad apple. Don't you wonder what we'll have accomplished in a hundred years? Two hundred? What will we leave behind?"

Ariadne had to smile, her enthusiasm was contagious. She picked up her sleeping roll from the crate and began to unroll it.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to take a nap."

"How can you sleep?"

"Everything is calm now, but we can't know what will happen when we arrive. We may not have the opportunity to sleep for a very long time."

Keera nodded. "The Vigil is ever prepared. Do you mind if I stay here and read?"

"Of course not."

Ariadne set her rifle next to her mat, then laid down and closed her eyes. She felt Keera sitting near her and found her presence comforting. She opened her eyes and saw that she had opened a small book with a well-worn leather cover.

_What pretty, blue skin and what beautiful, gold eyes._

Keera tore her gaze away from the book and looked at her, a small smile gracing her delicate features. Ariadne felt her heart began to drum in her chest. _What is wrong with me?_ She wanted to look away, but she couldn't do it until Keera went back to her book. She felt her own lips stretch into a smile before she closed her eyes.

She tried to keep her mind on the task ahead, tried to think of the jungle, of fighting the Mordrem and killing Mordremoth, but she quickly gave up. All she could see was those sunrise eyes. Soon she was drifting off, imagining visiting the Grove with Keera. It was such a lovely, pleasant thought that even the buzzing in her head seemed to stop.

Ariadne opened her eyes to a vibrant green and a shimmering atmosphere. Her head rested on Keera's lap as they watched the sylvan pups play. The Pale Tree's song filled the air, her very being.

**Pick up a blade. **The voice came from inside her head. It was harsh and jagged, it cut through her thoughts, and made her mind feel numb, made the buzzing in her head return.

_But I use my rifle. _The Pale Tree's song was gone, everything was thick fog and bramble.

**Pick up a blade, the Dragon commands it.**

She opened her eyes and found herself on the floor of the airship. Keera was kneeling beside her, her body shaking, her hands over her face.

Ariadne sat up, still half asleep. "What's wrong?" She spoke softly, placing a hand on Keera's arm.

Keera whimpered. "I can't get the voice out of my head."

"It was only a dream-" The words scarcely left her lips when she felt her heart sink.

If it was only a dream, how could Keera hear it too?

* * *

**A/N: **Slow start, but fear not, carnage is coming. We all know where this is heading.


End file.
